Messenger Bag Process: From Sketch to Finished Product | Hacker News Reader

Messenger Bag Process: From Sketch to Finished Product

ugmonk.com

45 pointsjonphillips0619 comments

I was in love with this bag the entire article until I got to the end and saw the $220 price tag that followed with it. The bag has to last a minimum of 10 years to compete with the cheap messenger bags that I just buy yearly.

Even if this bags lasts 10 years the problem is I'll probably have to buy another one before that because what we're carrying is rapidly changing. 5 years down the road a new device could come up that is shaped in just such a way that this messenger bag doesn't work well with it.

I've thrashed the bag over the last few months in terrible weather, and it's been outstanding. Jeff's quality of work is second to none, and I'm very happy with the product for what I paid. Why buy a bag yearly when this could last for 10 years? It fits 13 and 15" laptops, and I couldn't see myself using anything else for the foreseeable future.

My $80 Manhattan Portage bag has lasted six years so far. It's made of Cordura, not canvas, so it's essentially indestructible.

I'm not sure there's any reason I would buy the bag from OP rather than one from a more established manufacturer. The construction (waxed canvas) and detailing (leather straps) also strike me as incredibly trendy. This kind of bag has become quite popular in the last few years, but will likely not stay popular for a decade.

> The construction (waxed canvas) and detailing (leather straps) also strike me as incredibly trendy. This kind of bag has become quite popular in the last few years, but will likely not stay popular for a decade.

Is that a thing that matters to you ?

I looked at it and thought "man, that's a nice looking bag". I did not think "I bet my peers would think that's a nice looking bag".

If I'm spending hundreds of dollars on a fashion piece, then yes, I obviously care what other people will think about it. On the other hand, if I'm buying something timeless, it will never be out of fashion.

It's not like a fanny pack.

Messenger bags have been around since the days of the Pony Express. They're not going anywhere anytime soon.

If your target market is twenty-something trendy men with disposable income who want something made in the USA, $220 is nothing to them. Pricing it cheaper would just be giving money away.

(The next step up is aspirational leather bags aimed at thirty-somethings, like Saddleback Leather: http://www.saddlebackleather.com/messenger )

People have different levels of taste, some just can't stand being surrounded by ugly stuff (e.g. designers/artists). Also it uses a good-quality leather and handwork, it probably cannot cost less (just like a good developer).

The first thing I looked for was the shoulder strap and it's a relatively thin piece of leather with a slightly wider piece of leather that adjusts. No padding, so far as I could see. Much of the weight of the bag will be placed where that strap goes over the shoulder. I ride with a Chrome bag [1] which has superb padding for the shoulder; further, the way it attaches to the bag means that the bag sits in the centre of the bag remarkably comfortably. I used this daily for years when I worked as a bike messenger. Sure it gets heavy and your shoulder will show some redness but that thing could carry incredible loads. I don't think your bag is really aiming at the same thing, lovely though it looks, but I'd be wary of packing yours full of large laptop plus camera plus a book plus etc etc.

[1] http://www.chromeindustries.com/media/catalog/product/cache/...

I don't think this bag is meant for literal messengers!

Might just be the photos, but along the back, where it meets your hip and the straps attach, all I see is a single thin thread holding it all together, no reinforcement of any kind...

Great to see that process from one end to another. I only have one bit of constructive advice after reading: Seems like the top flap should cover the full opening of the bag, plus a little more to account for wind blown spray and drizzle. The early designs clearly show some slight overhang, but the final prototype appears to show a gap in coverage at either side.

We (at Rice Bowls) love Ugmonk, his designs and all the help he gives us in feeding orphaned children around the world!

meh. If I wanted to spend that kind of money, I'd go for the Jansport geminate bag. Less expensive for a better build and lifetime warranty.

You don't buy something like this only for functionality. There is more to the value of a bag than that.

What do you want to say to others with your attire, specifically your bag?

The bag in the original post is sending this message: "I'm competent, trustworthy, and I care about myself." Why? It's slim, made of good-quality materials, and has no more than it needs to have. It fits like a fitted pair of pants. When you look good, you are perceived as "good".

I looked at the Jansport Geminate bag, and it gave me this message: "I'm behind the times, and I don't really care that much about myself." Why? Those front pockets make it look like a baggy pair of pants two sizes too large. It looks fat and bulky, and if I wore it I would look like I just "threw something on" this morning.

How much change will you see in the opportunities you get just depending on the bag you wear? How much better will you feel with a good-looking bag? And is $219 worth those changes?

Yeah, the bulky front pockets kill that Jansport for me. And it's not that much cheaper anyways.

Looks amazing. Thank you for really caring about what you design. I may be buying one of these sometime soon.

my favorite designer – amazing and talented.

Love this bag!

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